Her eyes slowly blinked open, resisting the muted sunlight through the filth covered windows. 'What is that noise?' she wondered, as the din that woke her from the fade became louder and clearer.
"Eva, wake up! Wake up!"
"Ugh. Why in Andraste's name are you doing that Shianni?"
"Your betrothed is here! Today is your big day, you are getting married! Go get up!" Shianni replied.
"All the more reason not to get up I think. Unless of course to run. Far. Far away," Eva muttered as she threw the blanket back over her head.
"Bah! You should be overjoyed. I wish I were the one marrying a handsome man today," exclaimed Shianni.
"Handsome, eh? Well at least there is that." Eva slowly climbed out of bed. She shook her head trying to drive away the sleepiness and the dread. She didn't want to be married, even if he was supposedly handsome. Marriage meant giving up her freedoms. She wouldn't be able to practice with her daggers anymore, what husband wanted that. She would be expected to cook and clean and…produce children. 'Well,' she thought bitterly, 'no need to worry about the last one.' She shuttered violently, then tried to put the nightmares out of her head.
But suddenly another thought, even more terrifying, sprung into her mind. Would she still be able to protect the others? Would this husband expect her to leave the Alienage? She couldn't, wouldn't leave them to be subjected to that evil shem's wants. But if she stayed, how could any husband want a wife as ruined as she was, as she would continue to be. Why had her father thought this would be a good idea? Did he think this would save her? Didn't he realize she sacrificed herself to spare the other women of the Alienage? Didn't he know that as long as she went, the others were…
"Earth to Eva! Unless you are trying to start a new wedding trend by walking down the aisle half dressed, I suggest you get a move on it. And stop looking so horrified. This is a happy day for you! You can get out of here" Shianni said with exasperation.
But that is just it! I can't leave! What will happen to you all if I leave? What will you…" Eva was on the verge of sheer panic.
"Stop! Just stop! You need to think of yourself for once. You need to get out of here; you won't survive much more this. Don't worry about us, worry about yourself." The firmness in Shianni's voice made Eva stop shaking.
"Why would my betrothed even want me? I am ruined and barren. Does he even know this, has anyone told him of my predicament?" Eva was near tears.
"Shush my lethalin. You know very well our kind do not hold the abuses of shemlen against our own. Not many would ever marry otherwise. Now let us finished getting you dressed."
Eva stood in awe at the shem's body unconscious on the ground. Shianni stood over him with the broken jug still in her hand, eyes wide.
"Andraste's flaming sword, what have I done!?! That's the Arl's son! I just hit the Arl's son over the head with a jug! Why did I do that?" Shianni was rambling frantically.
Eva put her hand on Shianni's shoulder, "Try not to worry about it too much. I doubt he would ever admit an elf knocked him out, a female elf at that."
"We are gathered here today…"
"You little bitches will pay!"
Everyone turned to see Vaughan, the Arl's son, with eight goons swiftly moving in on the ceremony.
"Please sirs, this is a wedding!" the Chantry sister pleaded.
"You are going to marry this whore?" he sneered as he gestured toward Eva. Eva set her jaw but said nothing. "Well in that case, how about a pre-wedding party. These fine harlots will be quite entertaining for my boys and me here." The men started grabbing women, "Don't forget that one," Vaughan shouted pointing at Shianni, "she got feisty with me, and I think she needs a lesson or nine!"
"No! Please!" Eva cried out, "Just take me, let the rest go."
"Not this time my eager slut, we are gonna have a party." He derided.
"No!" Eva screamed just as Vaughan backhanded her hard enough for all to go black.
As she came to, Eva heard a woman praying to the maker to keep them safe. She also heard quiet sobbing in the corner. She groaned as a sharp pain cursed through her head when she attempted to stand. Shianni rushed over, "Thank the maker you're ok," she cried.
Eva sat up and surveyed the scene. There were about ten women, including herself. They seemed to be in a dungeon. She was wracking her brain trying to figure a way out of this when the door swung open. There stood four of the men earlier with heinous smiles on each of their vile shemlen faces.
"Ready for the party whores?" the first man sneered.
The women praying started rocking and chanting louder.
"Quiet bitch," one of men yelled. She just started shrieking the chant wildly as she violently rocked back and forth. The shem took out his sword and with one motion slit the poor woman's throat. The other women stood in silent horror as the blood drained from the girl's throat.
"Anyone else want to be difficult?" the man growled. Two of the men started ushering eight of the remaining nine women out the door. Only Eva was left, with the two remaining shemlen.
"We have special instruction for you, you fiery little whore. I hear you provide the best entertainment," the second one said as he started groping her chest. She spit on him. "Fuck you, whore, you will pay for that!" He was quieted suddenly though as a sword slid between his legs and came to rest right in front of Eva. They turned to see a male elf holding his own sword. It was Soris, Eva's cousin. As they gaped at this brazen elf, Eva grabbed the sword and swung furiously at one of the men and he fell to the floor, bleeding profusely. The other goon tried to fight but was quickly struck down by Soris and Eva.
"You came! I can't believe you came to rescue us! We need to get the others, they have already been taken to Vaughan," Eva panted. Soris nodded silently as he caught sight of the dead women in a pool of her own blood. The noise in the dungeon had alerted the guards in the estate to trouble. As a result, Soris and Eva had to fight their way through the estate. As each guard dropped, all Eva could think of is that the longer this took the worse things would be for the women already with the filthy shemlen. As they were running though the hallway she noticed an elf lying cold on the floor. As she drew nearer, she recognized him as her to be husband. She stifled a sob and declared, "He died trying to save me. He didn't even know me and died trying to save me," she stood and her face turned to stone, "they will die! All of those evil shemlen will die. His death must be avenged."
Finally, they reached Vaughan's bedroom. She shuttered, she knew this room all too well. A scream broke out from behind the door and with no further delay, Eva burst into the room, with Soris close behind her.
"What the – "But that was all the man managed to get out as Eva started swinging her sword, cutting down man after man. When finally the only man living was the Arl's son, his eyes grew wide with fear.
"I should have killed you years ago. You will burn for all the misery you have caused, for all the innocents you have slain. You worthless louse! May the maker spit on your soul!" And with that, she plunged her sword into his gut and started to twist. He screamed, his eyes bulging as she slowly and viciously disemboweled him. Then he stilled and breathed no more.
She turned to Soris, "Get them out of here." Then she ran to Shianni, who was lying on the floor, pale and sobbing. I was too late, Eva thought furiously, all my efforts over the years have failed, I have failed her, and I couldn't spare her the pain.
"So much blood, so much -," Shianni's words snapped her out of her thoughts.
"The bad men are dead now, they are all dead. Oh, Shianni I am so sorry, I am so so sorry," Eva sobbed as she helped the brutalized elf off the floor.
"Let's just go home," Shianni replied weakly.
Eva had just gotten them into the Alienage and had the elders take Shianni to tend to her wounds when the Denerim guards marched in a grabbed her.
"You will swing for this elf, you will pay for your crimes!" the head guard sneered.
"Actually, if you don't mind, I would like to take this woman with me and make her a Grey Warden," a voice called out from behind the crowd. Everyone turned to see the human who had spoken with his dark features and well used armor. Great, Eva thought, another shem here to make me his plaything.
"Duncan, it is an honor to see you again," Valendrian the Elder said. He knows this shemlen, Eva wondered.
The guard was not impressed, "she has massacred an estate full of men, she has killed the Arl's son. I will not just let her get away with this!"
"As a Grey Warden, I have the authority to use the Right of Conscription if necessary, "Duncan declared sternly.
"I will not become another shem's whore! I have just disposed of one today, I would rather die!" Eva jutted out her chin to show her resolve.
"Eva, don't speak to the honorable Duncan in such a manner! I apologize Duncan, she knows not who she speaks to," Valendrian stated.
"No worries my friend. I can understand her trepidation. But I assure you my lady; I have no intentions of that manner. I need recruits for the Grey Wardens and I feel you would make a great rogue among our ranks," the Grey Warden avowed.
The guard interrupted this discussion, "Since I assume you are in fact using the Right of Conscription, I suggest you collect the girl and leave Denerim at once, she is not wanted here," then he added, "And if I were you, I would sleep with a dagger in my hand and one eye open around this elf."
Duncan chuckled, "I think I will be ok," he then turned to Eva, "say your goodbyes quickly, we leave at once." Eva looked helplessly from Valendrian to Duncan and back. Was this really happening? Was she just handed over to this shem who would do whatever he pleases to her as soon as they left Denerim? It appeared so. She let out a resigned sign. Well, she thought, at least I can leave knowing the women will be a tad safer.
With a tear in her eye and a heavy heart, she said her goodbyes to those she knew and left the Alienage not knowing what laid ahead for her and if she would ever see her home again.
